The Romance Vote
Page 22
It was their secret, and the money Chili won off the fools that bet against her went to duck and other wildlife conservation in the state. Chili thought it was hilarious, and the folks who ran that organization considered Jean Pierre one of their best donors since Chili made him put his name on the donation.
He was happy for his old friend, and he was sure she’d gladly give up any title, duck hunter or otherwise, to keep the smile on Sam’s face. When he’d dropped Sam off earlier she didn’t seem to mind walking through the mud, but after hearing how they were spending their morning, he understood why.
Chapter Fifteen
A year later
Paul entered Chili’s office and dropped a copy of the Washington Post Business section on her desk. “The new sign on the building made the news.”
The room had been rearranged the week after the duck hunt and now housed a large partner’s desk at its center. The side closest to the windows always held a vase of roses that Daisy delivered with a few jokes for Sam. Chili glanced down at it after she rolled the last of Rooster’s campaign plans away and covered the boards with fresh paper.
The special election had been fast and furious after Fudge’s resignation from office for a number of improprieties that went beyond hiring prostitutes, and while the race had gotten crowded and ugly, Rooster had won it without a runoff. “Must’ve been a slow news day,” Chili said.
“You always say that, and it’s never true,” Paul said as he rolled his eyes. “The other big news is you received a dinner invitation from the new senator and his lovely wife as a way of thanking you for all the help, and to congratulate you on the wedding. They were sorry they couldn’t get to New York for the festivities, but he wanted to let you know you and Sam were in their thoughts. He also said he forgives you for taking a long weekend away from the craziness of campaigning since it was for such a good reason. Carla sent a shotgun as a wedding gift from both of them and said you’d understand.”
Sam answered when she joined them. “She does understand that, but we should be celebrating the fact that Daddy didn’t think it was necessary when he walked me down the aisle. And tell Rooster we accept.” Her arms went around Chili’s waist as she leaned against her.
“It’s still kind of shocking that he gave me his blessing that day I went up to see him, instead of punching me in the nose,” Chili said as she kissed the top of Sam’s head.
“You never did finish telling that story,” Sam said as she sat on the sofa the staff crammed on when they had meetings.
“Your father’s got a good sense of humor. He just said he wasn’t blind, but after some reflection on the romance vote, he figured it was a smart move to endorse me in my campaign to get you to marry me.”
Sam laughed and shook her head as if knowing that’s exactly what her dad would say. His blessing had been important to both of them, but especially to Chili. This place and Sam were her home, and she hadn’t wanted to lose either.
Sam picked up the paper and tapped on the color shot of their new sign. “This is great free advertising. Alexander, Pellegrin, and Morris has a nice ring to it.”
“I guess this means you won’t be giving up duck hunting anytime soon, huh?” Paul asked Chili.
Chili joined Sam on the sofa and pulled her onto her lap. “After winning the heart of the most beautiful woman in the world and Huey’s wedding gift of a partnership, it’s safe to say I’m not going anywhere.”
“It’s a good thing too,” Sam said, and kissed her. “Daddy knew he didn’t need a shotgun to get you down the aisle, but keeping you in line is another story.”
About the Author
Ali Vali is originally from Cuba and has frequently used many of her family’s traditions and language in her stories. Having her father read adventure stories and poetry before bed when she was a child infused her with a love of reading, which is even stronger today. In 2000, Ali decided to embark on a new path and started writing.
Ali lives in the suburbs of New Orleans with her partner of thirty years, and finds that residing in such an historically rich area provides plenty of material to draw from in creating her novels and short stories. Mixing imagination with different life experiences makes it easier to create the slew of characters that are engaging to the reader on many levels. Ali states that “the feedback from readers encourages me to continue to hone my skills as a writer.”
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